Poire dashed over to Praline and began excitedly showing off, yanking off her panda headgear and tossing it aside, revealing a cascade of long, pink hair.
The transformation to her appearance—especially around the mouth—was nothing short of astonishing. For someone like Praline, who had known Poire for a long time, the contrast was shocking. It was no exaggeration to say she looked like a completely different person.
Spinning on the spot in front of Praline, Poire beamed.
"Well? Praline-chan, am I pretty?"
Praline nodded without hesitation. Poire now absolutely qualified as a beauty.
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Praline asked,
"Poire, how did you...?"
Poire grinned and said proudly,
"It was Carl-sama! It's his power! He's like an all-powerful god!!"
The awe in her voice was unmistakable. Hearing this, Praline silently thought, So it really was him... Her reverence for Carl only deepened. Just the residual force from one of his techniques had swept across the entire Totto Land archipelago. She couldn't even imagine how overwhelming his power would be if he went all out.
Only a man like that could singlehandedly annihilate Big Mom, the Whitebeard Pirates, and the Revolutionary Army—three of the world's most powerful factions.
As thoughts of the Whitebeard Pirates and the Revolutionary Army—now relics of history—flitted through her mind, and she looked around at what remained of Totto Land, Praline couldn't help but feel grateful. The fact that the Charlotte Family had managed to survive in this new world truly felt like a miracle.
...
Above them, Galette was blushing as she bowed to Carl, thanking him over and over. For her, there was nothing more joyous than seeing her little sister finally resolve one of her deepest insecurities.
Carl waved his hand casually and said,
"Enough. I was just testing out a new ability. From now on, just make sure you live up to your title as the Butter Queen. The dessert supply for Mary Geoise still depends on you. Lucia and the others are obsessed with your pastries."
Before Galette could respond, Carl's brow lifted slightly, and a small smile curved his lips.
"They're already back, huh? That was quick."
Galette blinked in surprise.
"Carl-sama, who's back?"
"Katakuri and Brûlée."
Poire gasped.
"What?! Already?! But I just talked to Brûlée not long ago!"
Carl chuckled lightly.
"She wanted to surprise you. Besides, did you forget what her ability is? Those mirrors she keeps in her room—she's touched them all, hasn't she?"
At that, Galette and the others immediately understood. The power of the Mirror-Mirror Fruit truly did allow for a kind of instant teleportation—so long as there was a mirror she had touched before.
Poire's eyes lit up.
"Then they must be in the room right now! I'll go find them!"
At that moment, she was like a child eager to show off a brand-new toy. She couldn't wait to see the look on Katakuri's face when he saw her new appearance.
But Carl, seated on his throne with his chin propped up on one hand, chuckled softly.
"No need. They're already on their way."
...
Just as he spoke, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed through the hall. Katakuri and Brûlée stepped inside.
The moment they entered, their eyes landed on Carl seated high upon the throne—and both of them froze.
Brûlée, who had been planning a surprise appearance, stood with her mouth hanging open.
"C-Carl-sama?! You're here?"
Katakuri quickly came to his senses and bowed deeply, giving Brûlée a nudge as he did.
"Carl-sama."
Carl smiled faintly.
"Katakuri, didn't we just see each other not long ago? You two really made good time."
Katakuri responded respectfully,
"Yes. Captain Shanks has officially disbanded his crew, so Brûlée and I no longer had a reason to stay. We decided to return quickly to check on our siblings."
He lifted his head, just in time to see Galette, Poire, and Praline all waving at him excitedly, calling out in unison,
"Welcome home, Katakuri! Brûlée!"
A gentle smile surfaced on Katakuri's face. Though his time on Shanks' ship had been far more relaxing than life before, he had always missed his adorable younger siblings.
This—this was his home.
As for Big Mom… to be honest, few among the Charlotte siblings had ever truly felt a mother's love from her. Their relationship with her was more like that of subjects and their ruler. She had been a tyrant. Without her, things had only gotten better.
Of course, among her many children, there were bound to be a few diehard loyalists who wanted revenge. But most had died in that final war, and the few who remained had already been dealt with by Galette.
Now, without Big Mom looming over them, the Charlotte Family had finally found peace. Compared to the other former Yonko crews—aside from the special case of the Red-Hair Pirates—they had gotten the best ending possible.
...
Katakuri's gaze shifted toward Poire, who was waving at him the most enthusiastically. The moment he saw her face, he reacted just like Praline had earlier—completely unable to recognize her.
Even though he had many siblings, Katakuri had always prided himself on remembering each one's face. There had never been a time when he couldn't identify one of them.
He studied her features carefully. She looked quite similar to Galette, which made him hazard a guess.
"Are you… Poire?"
Poire threw up a peace sign with both hands and flashed a dazzling smile.
"That's right! What do you think? This is Carl-sama's gift to me!"
The moment he heard Carl was behind it, Katakuri understood. In his mind, there was nothing that man couldn't do.
But as he looked at Poire's soft, cherry-pink lips, his hand subconsciously touched the scarf hiding the slit on his own mouth. That scar had haunted him since childhood—it had even led to Brûlée being disfigured by a group of thugs.
...
Carl noticed Katakuri's movement. In a flash, he appeared directly in front of him.
Before Katakuri could react, Carl's hand reached out and gently touched his lips through the scarf. A burst of golden light erupted.
With a soft laugh, Carl said,
"Your turn to experience it."
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+120 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg